Orichimaru and Sakura My Hollow Soul
by smile-ookii
Summary: Words cannot describe the feelings Orichimaru and Sakura develop for each other even though Sakura is on a team with Naruto and Sasuke to catch or kill him! What will, can, and should happen to these most forbidden lovers? Read this OxS and find out.
1. Chapter One

**story: Orichimaru and Sakura - My Hollow Soul  
anime: Naruto  
written by: smile-ookii**

Whoo. I thought of this, while talking with my friend JOS. We got a lot of ideas for pairings, and this one really got me, and my attention. So here we are..Sakura and Orichimaru. I'm making it so that they first hate each other, then they become grateful to each other, and then, finally, love. I'll try to make this stretch out, and maybe a twist ending if stuff works out right.

**Chapter One - weak strength**

She hung her head, and let the wind ruffle her long pink hair. Fern-coloured eyes glistened in the early morning light, and lids with thick lashes half-hooded them. She hung halfway over the railing of their home, the one she shared with her best friends and squadmates, Naruto and Sasuke. Everything that had needed to happen had happened long ago; but there were still wars between the villages. Waterfall, Mist, Sound and Wind were completely neutral, and so the Hidden Leaf Village of Konoha had forgotten them. It had been like this ever since the failed attempt on the Third Hokage's life had failed, and Orichimaru had escaped. Nearly every ninja and kunoichi were out searching for him, each for their own reasons. It had been five years, and at 17, Sakura was a skilled kunoichi. Naruto, Sasuke and herself refused to be separated, so they bought a home to share, and assigned themselves to the same squadron. They had their arguements, sure; but they had been through so much together, and they weren't about to quit now. There had been a time, while they were living in the house, that Sakura had told Sasuke her true feelings. He rejected her, quite calmly, and told her what he thought of her.

"Sakura. You are weak. I need...strength, someone who will not bow to the danger, but rush into it, defeating everything in their path. You, you bend, you bow, you stoop, and you are not the woman for me. Please, do not ask me this again."

Sakura had been extremely shocked to hear that about herself, and had spent two weeks outside the house, roaming the forest surrounding them, and had come back, a colder person. Naruto had commented on it once, wondering if all was well; neither Sasuke nor herself had told him about the incident.

"I'm changed, Naruto. Not exactly scarred, but torn, dismembered. I am scattered ashes, and I have nowhere, but everywhere, to go."

Naruto had thought on this for a while, and decided there was no purpose. And so here they were now, everything remembered, but not forgiven. And here was Sakura, colder, and hanging over the railing as though she were a limp rag holding on.

"Sakura, is that you?"

She didn't lift her head, but nodded. "Who else would be here, Sasuke? What do you want?" Sasuke stood there, uneasy. He felt bad about what he had said to her, but that was so long ago; couldn't she let go, and be the warm and bubbly Sakura he had known most of his life? He guessed not, because as soon as he spoke, her body stiffened, and she seemed to grow colder. Much, much colder.

"We have a mission today, to Yuruba. A scroll has been causing a lot of trouble for the villagers, and we're to take it and destroy it."

"And that's a mission? Are you serious? We're taking a scroll simply because it bothers the neighbors. No, thanks." Sakura fully closed her eyes, breathing lightly. She liked to imagine another world, the world behind her lids. In there, everything was as _she_ saw it, and went as she saw fit.

"No. That's not it. Apparently Orichimaru has been sending shadow clones into that village for some time now, looking for that scroll. We've found it, and we're hoping that he hasn't found out yet, so we can locate the source of his shadow clones." At the sound of Orichimaru's name, Sakura's eyes snapped open, and she turned to face Sasuke. "What rank is this mission?" She asked him.

"A. There's a chance that he's extremely far from the village, but that'll make it easier for us, seeing as his chakra would be losing heavy doses. If we encounter him, the real him..then it'll be classified as a S-ranked mission." Sakura slowly nodded.

"When are we leaving?"

"Now."

- - - -

It was dark in the area surrouding Yuruba, and Sakura was glad. _I'd hate to see my own blood,_ she thought. They had fought many other ninjas heading in the same direction, though they were all headed to the same place. Apparently, they had been driven mad, because Naruto had recognized one ninja from a previous mission. _"Kohi? Are you headed towards Yuruba as well?" _He had said to him, and his mouth was still agape as the silver star had flown near him, cutting his cheek. Sasuke and Sakura stood back as Naruto knocked out his friend, and killed him. He was silent for the rest of the trip. Sakura had cried out, as she heard blood splatter on the leaves.

"Naruto! Why did you kill Kohi? He could have been reversed from whatever was wrong with him!"

"Shut up, Sakura. You didn't see what I did. Let's go."

Sakura had stayed silent as Naruto leapt off into the canopy of the trees, and wondered what Naruto had saw. Now, standing before the gates of Yuruba, with blood dripping off her tight ANBU outfit, she wondered about Orichimaru. Was he really here? And would just the three of them be able to apprehend him?

She didn't think so.

- - - -

Naruto walked over to a water pump, stripping off his clothing and cleaning himself. Splashing water onto his face, he rubbed his thin facial hair until Kohi's blood was spread, thin and watery, over his hands. He stared at them for a long time, still afraid, and angry, and sad. The trio had met Kohi on a C-ranked mission. They had been capturing a serial killer who had taken a child hostage, and Naruto strongly remembered the look in Kohi's eyes that day as the man began to rant.

_"I'll kill her I'll kill her if you take a step towards me you ANBU bastards come closer and I'll ---" _

His final word was cut off with his head as Kohi launched his unique scissor-sword onto the man. The _shojo_ had run over to her parents, and before they could thank the ANBUs, they had vanished. Walking slowly, they had rested in a nearby town, and talked about it. "Hey, mister..what was that look in your eyes, when you used your scissor-sword on him? It was pretty damn ferocious."

"Kid..that was cold hate, pure and simple. That happened to a friend of mine, but it didn't turn out like today. I'm sick and tired of bastards like that, taking advantage of the weak. But anyways, who are you guys?" There had been strong bonds made that day, as they discussed themselves, and the world around them. It had been nightfall when they finally broke apart, and they had plans to meet the next day. It continued for many years, and Kohi grew close to all of them, but especially close to Naruto. About a year ago, Kohi had come by the house to pick up Naruto for some one-on-one time, and Kohi had surprised Naruto by finding a beautiful cliff overlooking the Leaf Village.

"Wow, Kohi! This place is awesome! I've never been to this spot before..." Naruto's voice drifted off as he surveyed the beautiful landscape. The moon was large and bright, and it seemed to engulf half the town with its gigantic craters. Kohi silently watched Naruto as he skipped around, checking out their "secret spot."

"Hey, Kohi..what you'd bring me up here for? And why are you so quiet?" Naruto raised a puzzled eyebrow. Kohi coughed, then blushed.

"Naruto..." He walked over to Naruto, his hands shaking just a bit. He placed them on Naruto's shoulders, and bent down, close to his face. "I...I..."

"I love you."

Naruto started, and his striking blue eyes opened wider than they ever had in his entire life.

"But...but Kohi! I'm...not a woman...and I thought...you were a...ma-a-n..."

Kohi laughed softly, and whispered softly into Naruto's ears. "Oh, but I am, and no, you're not." Kohi wrapped his lean arms around Naruto's quivering body, and laid his head down on his shoulders.

"When I was younger...I was constantly persued by a man. His name was Drake Akashi, a Japanese-American who was here to get 'back in touch' with his Japanese heritage. He started after me one day as I was leaving Doku Daigaku, a small community college. _"Young man, is there anyone special to your heart?" _He asked me, and I was startled, but told him no. I wasn't going to tell anyone that I had a crush on bad-boy Ryoma Inaka, a top scholar at my school. Akashi just laughed at me, and said he'd come back and ask me tomorrow. And so everyday, he came and asked me the same question. I always told him no, and he always laughed at me and said, _"I'll come back tomorrow."_ Little did I know that Akashi was, in his own way, courting me. Finally, he asked me if I would dine with him, and I accepted, knowing that now, I had someone special to my heart." Kohi nuzzled deeper into the cleft of Naruto's neck, and his words sounded a bit clogged. "And I loved him so much, Naruto. I loved him because he made me fall so hard...but he lied to me. Not a large lie, but a lie, nonetheless. I heard him coughing hard one day, and I asked him if he were sick. _"No, no, my love. Just a nice spring cold is all." _And two years later, he died of cancer. And I...was unconsolable. I hated him, I loved him, I missed him...so I went through life, became an ANBU, and tried to forget the pain of death by killing others. And as you see, it worked all right. But them you came along...and you seem...so much like...my _itoshii_ Drake..."

Kohi began to cry, and Naruto finally huggged him back. They stood there a long time, and Kohi's sobs generally subsided.

"Kohi..." Naruto gripped him harder than before, nearly crushing the thin man.

"You have...a weak kind of strength, don't you?"

- - - - - - -

kunoichi - lady ninja  
shojo - young girl  
itoshii - darling, beloved  
Kohi is a fictional character.


	2. Chapter Two

**Orichimaru and Sakura - My Hollow Soul  
written by smile-ookii**

Yay, chapter 2! This is a really feel-good story, you know? I had to throw in a little bit of BL, I consider it a spice in the mix So here we are, in front of the Yuruba town gates. What will happen now...? Naruto has killed a close friend, Sakura is cold, and Sasuke is indifferent. What _could_ happen...?

**Chapter Two - Guzen Deai ( Chance Meeting )**

Sakura watched Naruto as he stared at his hands. _How much did Kohi's death affect him? _She continued to watch as his eyes went from hand to hand, and finally to the sky. "Naruto.."

"No, Sakura." Sasuke walked to her side, and glanced at Naruto. "He's...in pain, right now. You do know about the two of them, don't you?" Sakura bowed her head and nodded.

"Yeah. I saw them once, shopping together. Naruto kept blushing as Kohi kept embracing him, whispering in his ears. I didn't know _just_ how close they were. Sasuke, what were they to each other?" Sasuke turned his head, and his cold, dark eyes made her feel as though they were penetrating her soul. She shivered, wondering if these were his eyes in the heat of passion, or did they smolder and burn...? She shook her head lightly, focusing on a point a little above his eyes.

"They were lovers." Sakura twitched a bit, then closed her eyes and took a heavy breath. Turning back to Naruto, she called out to him.

"Naruto! We have to get moving. I'm...sorry." Naruto just barely inclined his head, and without saying a word, he tossed his team mates their "blending-in" clothes.

"We're going to the Sadawa Inn, in the centre of the town. We're to stay there until further signs of Orichimaru appear. Head out." Naruto raggedly threw on his clothes, and left quickly, seemingly forgetting his friends as he nearly ran to the town. Sakura and Sasuke watched him as he left, then silently got dressed.

- - - -

Sakura woke up to bright sunshine, filling up the corners in her eyes. She blinked hard at the harsh light, yawned, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Stretching, she went to the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. Even though she didn't get much sleep, her translucent skin was still flawless. They had been at Yuruba for nearly two weeks now, and Sakura had only catched glimpses of Orichimaru's shadow clones. Every day she woke up feeling hopeful, but by the time she went to sleep at night, her spirits had fallen. And so this had gone on for two weeks, and all she had gotten were glimpses!

_"CHE!" _Sakura threw her _kutsu_ at the wall, then picked it up sadly, sliding it onto her foot. "What else can I do? When will he appear..?" She went into the main room, and hung out the window, watching the passerby. She was nearly asleep when she saw it. Long, blonde hair strolled behind a tall and rigid man, and his ghostly skin stood out among the brown hues of the villagers. Orichimaru's shadow clone paused, as though he could feel her intense gaze. He slowly rose his head, and then his eyes to hers. Sakura stared into his dark golden eyes for a long time, and he stared back, steadily. He betrayed no emotion on his handsome face, but inside, he was reeling.

_Sakura is here...that must mean Naruto and Sasuke are as well..._ Orichimaru continued to stare into those overly coloured eyes, the ones that had always reminded him of a dangerous woman, one that he..._No! She reminds me of nothing but a bothersome woman in my way. _Orichimaru smirked at Sakura, and lifted a hand in greeting. To his utter surprise, she waved back, a smile on her face. "She looks...almost _happy_ to see me," he said, and began to walk away.

Even a monster like himself could never understand a woman's emotions.

- - - -

Sakura let her hand fall, shocked. "Oh, no...I was actually happy to see that monster's face!" She covered her face, her eyes wide and jittery. What was _wrong_ with her? She needed to forget about this and chase after him, see where he was headed! Sakura regained some composure as she searched for her other _kutsu_ and a clean kimono. Walking quickly, she left the inn and headed in the same direction of Orichimaru, heavily distracted. "Hm..maybe I was just glad to actually see more that just a piece of one of those. Yeah...yeah, that's all it was. But what was with that wave...?" Not noticing where she was going, she turned into a small alley, and then into another one. By the time she had realized that she had no idea what she was doing, she was lost. "Shit!" She mumbled, and turned around. Nothing but bricks ahead and behind her, and to each side. _Orichimaru may have persuaded my mind here while I was preoccupied,_ she thought, and grew stiff as she heard a gentle laugh.

"Yes, dear Sakura..you s-seemed..._quite_ preoccupied. Is there anything I can do to assist you?" Orichimaru mentally kicked himself for stuttering, and told himself it was just a slip of the tongue. He _did_ have a bit of a tongue. Sakura turned around sharply, her eyes narrowed.

"Orichimaru! Are you for real, or a shadow clone?"

"I'm real. Well, as real as I can get, anyways." They stood there, glaring at each other, eyes flashing.

"What happened...to your hair?" Sakura ran her eyes over Orichimaru's thin body, wondering what else had changed.

"It's a rather nice disguise, isn't it? All the ninjas are out there, looking for my silky black hair, my black kimono, my purple stripes. If they saw me now, they'd think I was the shadow clone. Oh, but to make sure it was safe, I sent a clone that looked like I do now...but that wasn't the one that you saw. You saw me, as I am right this moment. Of course, no one attacked me; I _am_ just a clone, after all." Sakura relaxed her body, and she looked at Orichimaru more closely. His hair didn't seem so silky; it seemed more coarse and thick. His purple stripes had vanished off his face completely, and he seemed almost a normal person, with his pale skin and golden eyes. His kimono was a light yellow, and was tied with a bright red sash.

"Ori...chimaru...you almost look like...a woman..." Sakura's mouth fell open at this revelation, and took a few steps back. "Why would you do that?"

"Well...I look almost pretty, don't you think?" Orichimaru began to laugh, and it wasn't a chilled one; it was _real_. Still laughing, he balled his hands up like a timid young girl, and softened his harsh voice. "Oh, Sakura..forgive me for being so blunt..but I...I wish I had your beauty!" Nearly crying, Orichimaru fell against the wall, coughing and choking. Sakura stared, aghast, and finally, she began laughing as well, until both were on the ground, tears streaming down their faces. Finally, Sakura stood, and wiped her eyes. She looked down at Orichimaru with a smile twisting her lips, but stopped, midway. He was looking at her like she had murdered his entire family; it wasn't hate, but it was confusion mixed in with something else. He stood up, and began backing away.

"Orichimaru...what's wrong?" He stopped, and the slits in his eyes turned a deep black, like a black hole swallowing the stars of the sky.

"What do you think is wrong! I am Orichimaru, the most wanted ninja of this day, and you are Sakura, a kunoichi supposed to be hunting me! And here we stand, laughing as though we have been friends since infancy, as though we were past lovers made up!" Orichimaru bowed his head, hooding his eyes so Sakura couldn't see the sadness in them. "I will take my leave, and you will take yours. Tell Naruto and Sasuke I am here, and what I look like. Tell them that since I have not been able to find the scroll, I have concured that it is in your possession. Tell them I will come for them, and I will take it...and I will kill them, like I have countless others."

"But _do not tell them of this_. Do not tell them of my laughter, or I will cause you such misery and ache as have never been seen on this world before. Do...not..." Orichimaru vanished with his last words, and Sakura stood there, silenced.

"Oh, what have I done..." She turned, and now there was a street behind her, and she ran to it, and to the Sadawa Inn as fast as she could go.

- - - -

"He's _here_? In a yellow kimono, red sash, no stripes? Are you certain?" Naruto paced the floor in Sakura's room while Sasuke sat silently in a chair.

"Yes, Naruto, as I've already told you. I was so concentrated on finding him, he led me into a controlled area, told me to tell you about the scroll, and left me. That was all."

"Are you sure that's it, Sakura?" Sakura shifted her eyes over to Sasuke, and nodded.

"Yes. I'm positive. He told me about his shadow clones, the scroll, and that was all." Sasuke stared into her eyes a moment longer, then closed them and leaned back.

"Naruto, stop pacing. Are you up for going to him tonight, or should we get some rest and let the extra energy die down?" Naruto stopped, and leaning against a wall, he crossed his arms. He looked at Sakura, and then at Sasuke, and then the floor.

"Sure. Let's get some sleep. First thing tomorrow night, we're there, and we're gonna get him!" Naruto banged his hand into the wall, making a small dent. "That bastard's not going _anywhere_," he growled, and tore open the door, treading heavily down the hall to his room. Sasuke stood and walked out the door, pausing to glance back at Sakura.

"Sakura-chan...I really do hope that was all." He gently closed the door, and Sakura turned to look out her window.

"Why...do you care so much about your laughter, Orichimaru?" she whispered, and turned out her light.

- - - - - - -

che - damn

kutsu - shoe

I spelled "centre" like that on purpose.


	3. Chapter Three

**Orichimaru and Sakura - My Hollow Soul  
written by smile-ookii**

Ahh...I wrote these first three chapters in three days, and I feel like dancing! The story is really working out for me, and my fingers are just floating across my keyboard. Well, so far, Sakura and Orichimaru have met, and shared something that Orichimaru seems to be ashamed of: laughter. Naruto is revealed to have had a lover, a friend ninja named Kiho, whom he had to kill, for reasons that are yet known. Sasuke questions Sakura about her meeting, and she falls asleep thinking of Orichimaru's laughter. Finally, they have Orichimaru in their reach...

**Chapter Three - Urayamashigaru ( Envious )**

"I wonder...how he is..." Sakura had been up since the sun began its daily shine on her eyes, and all she could think of was Orichimaru's expression. _Confusion...but what else? What was that other feeling..._ She sighed heavily, and slid on both her _kutsu_. The air in her room seemed thick, and she needed some fresh, clean air. The thought of doing what she usually did (hanging over a railing) never occured to her; deep inside, she wanted to see Orichimaru, to talk to him again. But what she wanted most...

She wanted to hear to hear his laughter.

Sakura reached the street, which was beginning to be busy despite the time of day. She began walking with the crowd, looking at everyone, searching, really. "Blonde...like an American woman," Sakura said softly, and laughed. She felt sad, then, and stopped abruptly, making the people behind her mutter and swerve to avoid her. "Sumimasen, sumimasen," she said, and as she was turning around to try a different direction, she saw it. A long lock of coarse, thick, blonde hair. The large group of men blocking the rest of him moved suddenly, and Sakura gasped at the familiar face.

He hadn't seen her yet, and walked on, his nose upturned like a nobleman's. His nose was long, and rather Greek, from the side, and his lips were thin, nearly as pale as his skin. His eyes tipped downwards, almost as though they were overfilled. Muscles in his sculpted cheeks twitched from time to time, and his long, tapered fingers laid still at his side. He moved as though he were both swaying and dancing; it was the most graceful walk Sakura had ever seen. His head turned towards her slowly, very much like the day they had met, and his hair fell into his eyes as he calmly watched her blunder about. _She's...such a fool. Such a insane...aho. Didn't I tell her I would kill them all? And yet here she is, obviously looking for me. _Orichimaru drifted over to Sakura, who had turned blood red from embarrassment.

"Uhm..hello," she squeaked. "I, uhm..noticed you there...sir...and you..uh, reminded me...of an, uhm...certain...yes." Sakura turned to walk away, but was gently pulled back. She landed with a soft _plop!_ onto Orichimaru's chest, and nearly her entire body turned red as she felt his arms encircle her. They stood like that for what seemed like a thousand years, and Sakura grew so red that she began to fade into a light blue. "Orichi...maru...I think I'm ---" Sakura fainted, and Orichimaru laughed softly.

"Sakura...what is _with_ you? Am I the honey, and you the bee?" He picked her up, and began his sway-and-dance again.

- - - -

"OH NO!" Sakura sat straight up, and bumped her head on the low ceiling. "Whaaat...?" She rubbed her bruised forehead, trying to recall where she was. Memories of yellow floated around like jigsaw pieces until they began to glue themselves together. "OH NO!" she yelled again, and stood up. Some of her angered blood rushed into her head, and she fell forward, groaning in pain. She fell into a soft, yellow cushion that smelled of flowers, and smiled sleepily as she was turned over. "Oooh...you smell like flowers, Orichimaru," she murmured, and fell asleep.

Orichimaru stared at the sleeping Sakura, bewildered. "I smell...of flowers?"

- - - -

When Sakura woke up again, she made sure not to raise straight up, in case she hit her head again. "It's alright, I moved you," a voice said into her back, and she jumped, twisting the covers around her as she twisted around.

"ORICHIMARU! WHY ARE WE IN A BED TOGETHER?!" He laughed, and hit her softly on the head with a small pillow. He looked at her for a moment, then brought his arms around her, spooning her.

"Well...you had hit your head in that room, so I moved you to my bed...it's much nicer, yes?" Sakura gasped as he surrounded her, but had to agree; the bed was like resting on silken feathers, and she didn't even want to move away.

"Mhm...yes, it is. But what are you doing to me?" She flipped her head back, staring into those intensely gold portals, and realized just how close they were. He just stared back, unblinking, unbreathing. _Her eyes...are so green. A perfect match for my flowers, _he thought, and averted his eyes.

"Sakura, how old are you now?" Sakura blinked, surprised a little.

"17, last time I checked. And you, Orichimaru..?" He grinned, and white, vampric-like teeth gleamed in his smile.

"Too old for anyone to want. Go back to sleep, you feel so...tense. So tired." She looked away from him, and nodded.

"I am. Tense because I'm here with the enemy, and I don't think of you like that, here. And tired, because finding you took a long, long time. I still want to know...how old you are," she said, then relaxed into the curve of his body. Orichimaru waited until he was sure she was asleep, then brought his lips to her ears.

"The truth is, Sakura...I don't know. I want you to give me an age, any age. Just so I can know myself once again..." He glanced at her one more time, then placed his head in the hollow of her neck, soundly asleep.

- - - -

Sasuke stared after Sakura, watching as she collasped onto the young man who was laughing at her. _Yellow kimono...red sash...that's impossible,_ he thought. _The hair is all wrong...if it weren't for that, we'd be on him quicker than Kakashi-sensei is on the new _Paradise Love_ novels. _Sasuke shook his head, and turned away as the man picked her up.

"She sure got over me...quick."

- - - -

"So you don't know your age?"

"No."

"And you want me to just...name one, and you'll go by it?"

"Yes."

"But why? And why me?"

"Well, I'd like to have an answer when people ask me, and I'd rather have you do it, Sakura."

"We-e-e-ll...give me a while, okay?" As Orichimaru nodded, Sakura began to circle him, poking him here and prodding him there. After they had woken up, Orichimaru had asked Sakura (_almost bashfully_, she thought) to give him an age, and she had been a bit confused. But now, looking at his body, she understood why he couldn't tell his age. There was just..nothing. No old man's knees, but no baby-soft skin. No youthful expression, but not one of old age, either. The only thing she could see were small crow's feet that wrinkled his eyes, but they were faint, and near impossible to see unless you were as close...as she was.

"As I am..." she said aloud, and Orichimaru looked down, confused.

"What?"

"Nothing. Uhm, okay. You can't be in your 30s, because your body is too young. But you can't be around my age, either, because you have little crow's feet near your eyes. So, I'm going to have to estimate your age around...26!"

"26...why, that'd make me only nine years older than you! So I'm not too old..."

"And does that make you happy? Not to be so much more older than me, I mean."

Orichimaru looked over Sakura's head, then down at her, blonde bangs neatly coordinating with gold eyes. "Yes...it makes me very happy. But when do you and your squadmates come for me?" Sakura's body jolted, and her eyes soared up to his. _She's frightened..for me, or for them?_ Orichimaru gripped Sakura's shoulders, and for the first time since their morning together, his eyes grew cold. "Listen to me. When you see me...you must act as though this is the second time in five years that you have seen me. Do not let your body, or your eyes, betray you. Do not let your speech be affected by my presence. I...am going to be Orichimaru, and I'm going to try to kill you, Sakura." Her eyes grew wide, but she didn't try to break his hold. "I...if there is a way for you to be weak without showing it, I will take advantage, and take you as a...a hostage. I want you...to be with me, Sakura!"

Orichimaru shoved Sakura to his chest, and held her tightly. She tore at his back, as though she were physically being pulled away from him. "Orichimaru! Oh, why can't we escape...now..." He felt warm tears on his open chest, and bent over, rubbing his lips on her strawberry hair.

"I want them to think you're a hostage. That way...you can't be blamed." He pulled Sakura away from him, and it seemed to her that it physically hurt him to do so...almost as though he had to strain to keep his arms from buckling back around her. He began to _aibu _her wet cheeks, then silently began to lick them away. "It seems...I have a deep _aichaku_ for you, Sakura. So...I will take you with me, wherever I go. Now you must leave...and be ready for when we meet again."

As Orichimaru hugged Sakura one last time, his face was troubled. _I'm a bit...envious of you, Sakura. You get to start a new adventure, with me. But I've been on the same game for so long now..._

_Yes. I'm quite envious._

- - - - - - -

kutsu - shoe  
sumimasen - I'm sorry  
aho - fool  
sensei - teacher. you probably know that, but there are still some who don't...  
Paradise Love - I'm _thinking_ that's the name of the books Kakashi is fond of.  
aibu - caress  
aichaku - affection, attachment

This was a rather long chapter for me,


	4. Chapter Four

**Orichimaru and Sakura - My Hollow Soul  
written by smile-ookii**

Ooh. I liked that last one, and I hope the rest of you did as well. I tried not to go overly-lushy with the mushiness; it's still Orichimaru. I just made him a bit more open, that's all. Okay, so now Sasuke sees Sakura and Orichimaru, but doesn't recognize him because of the blonde hair. Seems Sakura forgot to mention that one small fact...oh well, she's obviously benefited from it. Naruto is still moping about; the death of Kohi and the appearance of Orichimaru is putting quite a stress on him; hope he doesn't collapse. Sakura and Orichimaru have all but pledged their love to one another, and plan to escape by having Sakura pose as his hostage. Nice plan, huh? But I'm thinking...do things _ever_ go quite as planned?

**Chapter Four - Jigoku Kimi No Me De ( Hell In Your Eyes )**

"C'mon, Sakura. It's time." Sakura stayed where she was for a moment longer, and hung even further over the railing. She took a large breath, and opened her eyes. She stood staight up, and turned to face Naruto.

"Okay." He nodded, and opening her door, he stepped outside and began walking down the hall. She followed him slowly, her body heavy. _I don't want to fight you, Orichimaru. I know someone is going to get hurt. But will it be me...or you? _Sakura, head down, nearly bumped into Naruto's back.

"Sakura...are you okay? I mean, you seem totally out of it."

She looked at his eyes, and tried to hide the sorrow in her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine, Naruto. Just distracted, you know? I mean, we're going up against Orichimaru...that'd make anyone have a bit of a moment." Naruto only looked at her, then shook his head.

"I hope he kills me." He continued to walk, and Sakura's heart began to ache for both her love and his. _Kohi's death is tearing him apart,_ she thought. _If he's not into it like usual, he just may get killed._ She walked a bit faster, eager to see Orichimaru as soon as she could. She didn't want anyone to die, not today, not ever. But that couldn't ever be formed into a promise. Someone was always ready to die.

Always.

- - - -

_Running. I can't breathe! I can't breathe...! _

Sakura threw a couple of stars behind her as she ran, making the hand seals for fire. She heard screams behind her, and a small smile curved her lips. She quickly glanced to her left, where Orichimaru was using both water and fire jutsu to push back the attacking nin. Just a few minutes ago, Orichimaru had been savagely attacking Sasuke, Naruto, and herself. As soon as they had exited the inn, Orichimaru had shown himself, a cold smile on his lips.

- - - -

"Oh, so I see you got my message from darling S-s-s-akura," Orichimaru drawled, holding on to the 's' as long as he could.

"Yeah, you creepy bastard, we did. Now where do you want to settle this? I'm not going to have any part in destroying this place, so pick somewhere else."Naruto stepped forward, arms crossed.

"All right, all right, no need to rush me," he said, and brought his hands up in a gesture of peace. "I've already picked it out, and no one will be disturbing us. Come on..." And with that, he leaped off into the night, and they followed. It took them nearly an hour to get to Orichimaru's spot. It was deep in the forests of Yuruba, and near pitch-black from all the towering trees. _Sakura...use the darkness, understand what this is for. _Orichimaru stood straight, with his back to them. "I want the scroll. Are you going to give it to me, like good little chunin?" He laughed softly, and Naruto stiffened, and stood in an attack stance.

"Orichimaru, I thought you were smarter than that! Why would we ever just _give _you a scroll? Now either you come with us like how you are now...alive...or we take you another way...your choice." It seemed that the air grew more tense, more crisp. _Is Orichimaru actually considering this?_ Sakura thought, and took a small step forward. She had almost taken another one when Orichimaru turned suddenly. His blonde hair flew around his body, encircling him gently. His golden eyes were narrowed, and his slits were frigid, nearly impossible to see in the darkness. His thin fingers folded like origami, into the shape of the dragon, of the rat, and of the snake.

_"Kaze no jutsu!_" His strong wind ninjutsu blew them off their feet, and before Sakura had time to react, he was above her, firing down multiple fire spheres. His thick red sash flew out behind him, making him seem like an angel with bloody wings. She dodged them, and was quickly on her feet, retaliating with her ice crystal ninjutsu.

"Byakugan!"

Sakura heard Sasuke cry out, and she broke out in a cold sweat. _Oh shit, oh shit! Can't he see chakra points with that? And it'll also make it easier to see Orichimaru!_ Sakura cursed silently, wishing Neji had never let Sasuke copy his signature move. Shooting a few stars in Orichimaru's direction, she swept by him, whispering, "He can see you now...be careful," before being punched in the jaw. "Umph!" She fell to the ground, and her head snapped around wildly. As she lay there dazed, she thought she heard a soft-spoken "_Sumimasen, Sakura," _before Orichimaru leapt away, rushing towards Naruto.

"Sakura!" Naruto tapped into a small portion of the nine-tailed fox demon's chakra, and held out his hand, the fingers slightly curved. _"Inazuma no yonju akuma!" _A large bolt of lighting twisted from his hand, and split into 40 branches, each one sending sparks of electricity into the night sky. Orichimaru was surprised (_What _is_ that?_), but did not stop his advancement.

_"Shadow clone jutsu hangeki suru!" _Shadow clones formed at his sides, one for each bolt of lighting. The bolts began to throw themselves at the clones as the clones leapt towards Naruto, each with an expression of hate etched on its face. Naruto stood there calmly, as his bolts destroyed the clones one by one. Finally, he withdrew the fox's chakra, and stood still.

"Hehe...that was quite impressive, Naruto-kun," said a gentle voice in his ears. Naruto's eyes widened, and before he could turn around, or leap away, or do _anything_, he felt a hand on his back, and a whisper.

_"Chi no genjutsu." _Naruto's body fell into himself from the pain. Blood spurted from his mouth as he fell to his knees, holding the hole from which gallons of blood was pouring.

"No..it's just an illusion! I have to get in control of myself1 I have to...!" But Naruto was weak from using so much chakra in his attack against the shadow clones, and he allowed the illusion to engulf him, finally fainting from the illusionary blood loss.

Orichimaru looked at the boy a moment longer before jumping onto a branch above him. Glancing at the trunk of the tree, he saw at least 20 specks of silver embedded in the tree. "My, Sasuke, your _shuriken_ throwing skills just keep getting better and better."

"I won't take that as a compliment." Sasuke stepped into what weak light there was, and stared hard at Orichimaru. "What's wrong with Naruto?" The person in question moaned, and he looked extremely pale, making his yellow hair stand out ridiculously.

"Seems he used too much chakra on whatever attack he just used on me," Orichimaru replied, and began to swing his legs. "So I simply used a _genjutsu_ on him, and he collapsed. Guess he wasn't up to it, huh?" He jumped higher as a _kunai_ flashed by him. "Ooh, but what have I done, Sasuke?"

Sasuke stood there in a near imitation of Orichimaru, like when Sakura had seen him walking in the early morning. He was about to reply when all of a sudden, thousands of _shurikens_ and _kunai_ knives flew in from the darkness behind him. "Hey! We're not the enemy! Cease fire!" Sasuke ran to Naruto, and hefted him onto his shoulders. "Sakura! Are you up, because it seems we have a problem!"

Sakura had been up, leaning against a tree for a bit of support. "What's wrong?" she called out, and got her answer when a _kunai_ pierced her thigh. "Aah! DAMN IT!" She hesitantly touched it, and reeled back, hitting her head on the tree. "Sasuke, I've got the answer in my leg," she yelled, and looked down at it. Blood was running in a thin line down her leg, and she shivered. She didn't like that kind of warmth. Pushing herself away from the tree, she limped to where Sasuke had been, and leaped high into the trees. Landing hard, she muffled a cry, and Orichimaru's head jerked towards her.

"Sasuke, how about we hold off on our personal issue for a moment? These nin don't seem to be targeting anyone specific." Sasuke glanced at Orichimaru, and nodded.

"We need to leave this area. Sakura, how's your leg?"

"It'll be all right for now, but I need to wrap ---" Sakura stopped mid-sentence as she heard a small ripping sound, and a piece of yellow cloth was placed in her hands. She looked up, and saw Orichimaru looking at her, the smallest bit of worry visible in his eyes.

"Pull it out right now. Wrap it as tight as it'll go, and then we'll be ready." Sakura continued to look at Orichimaru, and saw that his eyes had lightened. "I can't have low-class nin killing Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzamaki Naruto. I leave your deaths to me." He stood, and smiled. _"Kiri!" _The entire forest in front of them disappeared into thick fog. Sasuke afforded Orichimaru one small nod, and then leapt off the branch, running at full speed. "Sakura!" Orichimaru knelt near her, and tied the cloth for her. "You're so...pale. Are you alright?"

"...Yes, of course. I'm Haruno Sakura. I can do..." She paused for breath, then laughing softly, gave Orichimaru a apologetic glance. "Carry me? Just until I have breath." Orichimaru laughed, then hoisted Sakura gently into his arms.

"Continue to do your ninjutsu until you are well," he said. "I'll try not to make you dizzy...my speed is considered inhuman, sometimes." She nodded, and unsheathed a few of her _shuriken_.

"Let's go."

- - - - - - -

kaze no jutsu - wind jutsu

sumimasen - I'm sorry

inazuma no yonju akuma - "lightning of forty devils." I made this move up.  
shadow clone jutsu hangeki suru - "shadow clune jutsu counterattack." Another make-up.  
chi no genjutsu - "blood illusion jutsu." This one as well.  
shuriken - throwing stars

kunai - a knife. round at the base, then gets super-sharp at the point.  
kiri - fog  
Whoooa. Not a bad chapter, I think. I wish I could do a chapter every day this week; we'd be up to nine by Saturday. Oh well; school.


	5. Chapter Five

Orichimaru and Sakura - My Hollow Soul

written by smile-ookii  
Oh, wow. That last one was seriously intense. Went with the title, a little. What was known as "Team 7" has temporarily joined forces with Orichimaru to fight off the nin who have begun to randomly attack them. Naruto is unconscious from Orichimaru's _Chi no genjutsu_ attack, and is being carried by Sasuke, who has placed a bit of trust into Orichimaru. Sakura was injured slightly with a _kunai_ in the thigh, and was being carried by Orichimaru, who also wrapped her wound with cloth from his own kimono. As they run from the nin, will Sakura and Orichimaru use this as a chance to escape? Or will they stay put? Does this attack have any connection to Kohi? Seems like the same setting...hm. Let's see just how deep love can go...

Chapter Five - Laughter

Sakura pulled her glance from Orichimaru, and slid her eyes over to Sasuke and Naruto. Naruto was now awake, but weakened. He was doing what she and Orichimaru had been; using one for movement and the other for attacking. _It's working really well with those two,_ Sakura thought, and caught a nin in the chest with another _kunai_. "Orichimaru, can you tell how many of them there are?" She saw his pupils widen for a second, then return to normal size.

"About 600."

"Shit. Sasuke, Naruto, did you hear that?" She saw them nod, and everyone's face grew grim. They began to run faster, throwing plenty of _shuriken_. But what usually stopped nin wasn't stopping these guys. "Hey, what's up with these guys?!" Sakura was getting tired, and her nerves were pencil-thin. Orichimaru glanced over at her for a second, then turned his attention to Sasuke and Naruto.

"Can either one of you...smell it?" Sakura's face grew puzzled as both her friends nodded.

"I saw it, up close," Naruto said quietly. "It was my friend...my lover, Kohi. His eyes...oh my g'd, his eyes!" Naruto began to spasm in Sasuke's arm, sweat building on his forehead.

"His eyes! His eyes! HIS EYES! THERE WEREN'T ANY! THEY WERE'NT FUCKING THERE!" Naruto screamed. Sasuke tried to use chakra to calm him down, but it seemed as though the other's body was refusing to be comforted. "THE BLOOD WAS FUCKING DRIPPING FROM HIS EYES! LIKE SOMEONE ATE THEM, THEY ATE HIS BEAUTIFUL EYES OH MY --" Sasuke crashed his hand heavily into Naruto's face, nearly dropping him and losing his balance. Naruto's lips bled, and Sasuke shook his head. He turned his attention, but not his eyes (seeing where you were going was very important now; no one was giving any more glances at each other) to Orichimaru.

"When'd you notice?"

Orichimaru paused in answering, throwing a nin who was near his side into the ground. "As soon as they came. The stench is so strong to my senses, it's like I'm suffocating. Sakura," he said, feeling the immense confusion from her direction, "they're dead. All of them, dead. Apparently Naruto got to see up close, and hopefully we never will." Sakura didn't reply, but her attacks became more forceful and precise.

_Naruto...I'm sorry you had to see Kohi like that. I really am. Who but us is left to love you as much as he did...?_ Tears fell from Sakura's eyes, blurring the field in front of her to a waterscape painting. _Wait...a field?_

"Is that open space up there?" Her voice quivered, and Orichimaru wondered if it was from seeing the clearing or from Naruto's panic attack.

Nodding, he followed Sasuke in a leap, landing deep in the high grass. "Oh, this just gets better for them, doesn't it? Now we can't see them, and we can barely hear them, but they seem to be able to track us like dogs." Orichimaru stood regally, head lifted to the sky. "At least it's a beautiful day..." Sasuke propped Naruto's body gently on the ground, then turned to Orichimaru, a frown darkening his face.

"Plan?" Orichimaru slid his eyes over to the frowning man, and Sakura thought that he looked so handsome..._He's one man who doesn't need emotion to look good...he just **does**. And if Sasuke wasn't here, I'd enjoy having my way with..._

Sakura gasped aloud, and a blush flooded her cheeks. Sasuke and Orichimaru began to turn in her direction, and the blush deepened as she tried to hide it. Dropping her head so her hair partially covered her face, she turned her back to them, coughing. Sakura grew even more embarassed as she felt them bore holes into her back. _Are they laughing...at my obviously fake cough...? It's not like I can tell them what I was thinking about. _

_'Oi, Sasuke! You know, I was just thinking about Orichimaru's body. Yes, it does look delicious, doesn't it? Well, that's all I wanted to tell you. Oh! Did I mention I have a HUGE crush on him?' _

Sakura began to cough a little bit louder, trying to cover up the sound of her thoughts. It eventually worked, but only because her wound started aching. It began to bleed, and Sakura only stared at the blood, stupidly. _I couldn't ask Orichimaru to rip his beautiful kimono again...shit, I'm a aho!_ Sakura glanced down at her ANBU outfit, considered trying to rip it, and gave up.

"Too...tight!"

"Oh, but I rather like them like that...it really gives your body the most _flattering_ figure." Sakura blushed again, and felt Orichimaru's grin against her lips. She tried to stutter a denial as a another ripping sound was heard, but she fell silent as his cold cheek pressed against her own. "Mmm...I'd like to do more, but with Sasuke here..." This time Sakura blushed so deeply that her hair blended in nicely with her face.

"Not...that I was thinking that...at all..." She shook, ready to cry, as Orichimaru walked around to face her. He took one look, grinned (quite naughtily, might I say), and plopped down on the ground, pulling Sakura down with him. She fell softly, with a small "oomph!," and shook even harder as she was dragged halfway over Orichimaru's body. They were now in a position of...well, they were in a rather obvious position, and Sakura wanted to close her eyes...forever.

But then...she'd miss out...on _this_. She hadn't been this close to him since she had hit her head in his room, and she had rather missed the coldness. So she sat there silently as he rewrapped her bandage, taking his time. He let his hair fall into his face (and g'd knew how she loved him to do that), and made sure that Sakura could feel every...single...touch that his fingers made on her translucent skin.

- - - -

Orichimaru glanced upwards at Sakura and saw her staring at him. His hands shook for a second or two; and then they were steady, and massaging Sakura's swollen thigh. She let out a soft moan. Orichimaru's eyes shot over to Sasuke, making sure he hadn't heard; but he was busy attending to Naruto, who seemed to be hallucinating now. Slowly dragging Sakura closer to him, he let his hand steal higher, and higher up her thigh until she jerked forward, eyes wide open but clouded with desire. "Orichi...what are you doing...aah..." She bit her lips, hard, so she wouldn't cry out; if Sasuke saw, their plan was ruined. But it was so hard...Orichmaru's cold hand had snaked up her leg, passing up her throbing area, but teasing her all the same.

His fingers made small patterns on her stomach, rising up like smoke tendrils in their intricate designs. They finally reached her breasts, which immediately perked up and fell into his palm. Grinning that seductive smile of his, he pinched her there, hard, and watched her face take on an agonized look. "_Nani_...what are you doing to me...we're in danger..." She gave a small squeak as Orichimaru groped her other breast, fondling it gently.

"No.._you're_ the one in danger, _itoshii_. And would you really like me to explain what I'm doing to you?" She tried to shake her head negatively, but before she knew it, she had been pulled to her feet. "Sasuke-kun. We're going to go patrol the area. I'll keep her safe, alright?" He got a distracted jerk from Sasuke, who was watching Naruto thrash about in his sleep. Giving Sakura another smile, Orichimaru took her by the hand and pulled her into the grass, blocking them from Sasuke's view. He walked for ten minutes, but not in silence; Sakura and himself talked about many things on the way.

"Sakura...why did you say I smell of flowers?"

"I did? When?"

"After you bumped your head...you said I smelled of flowers. And then you woke up, obviously happy to be in my bed, surrounded by my limber body...I _am_ very limber, Sakura..."

"Orichi! That...uh...what are you saying?!"

"Oh, we've already picked out a nickname for me, then? Don't worry, I like it," he said to her crestfallen, blushing face. "But I did bring you out here for a reason..."

"I don't want to talk about that!"

"Usually, there isn't any talk, unless moans and name screaming count for you..."

Orichimaru smirked at the sudden, shocked silence that came from behind him, and turned around, a strange look on his face. "Sakura..." She looked up at him, laughter burning deep in her soul. "Close your eyes, okay?" She nodded, and with that small notion, placed an enormous trust package into Orichimaru's hands. Leading her tenderly by the hands, he walked backwards into another clearing, but larger than what they had been in earlier. "Open.." Orichimaru stepped back from Sakura as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Oh my...Orichi, it's beautiful!" She leapt into his arms, giggling, as small petals of a sakura tree floated down on them, laying to rest in his blonde hair. He wrapped his arms around Sakura, laughing softly.

"I just thought...well...you laugh so...pretty?" As Sakura cocked her head to the side, a small grin breaking through, Orichimaru did something that had never...ever...happened to him before.

He turned a nice, pretty pink.

- - - - - - -

Eeh. This chap was so-so.  
But I _did_ laugh a lot.

aho - fool  
nani - what

itoshii - darling


	6. Chapter Six

Orichimaru and Sakura - My Hollow Soul

written by smile-ookii

Eeh. The last chapter...not so good, hah. Let's see what I can do for this one...well, at least Sakura got her wish; she's heard more of "Orichi's" laughter, and she's been laughing more than usual, too. Sasuke is _extremely _concerned with Naruto, who's been hallucinating ever since he had a panic attack over Kohi. And let's not forget the "invading nin"..looks like there **was** a connection to Kohi! 600 nin had their eyes eaten out, and are somehow the living dead. Seems like even the dead get tired, though, as Orichimaru and Sakura have seen none on their "patrol" of the area. What'll happen now...they aren't exactly being quiet in the other field, you know? And when will they escape...?

Chapter Six - Zainin (Sinner)

"Hey! Where the _hell_ have you two been?!" As soon as Orichimaru and Sakura had walked backed into the camp, each looking slightly flustered.

"Patroling--"  
"Patroling--"

They stopped, but didn't laugh, for fear that Sasuke would get the hint. "Well, Naruto needs help. And I mean _serious_ help. He keeps...saying things, acting like he's talking to Kohi. And from what he's been saying, he and Kohi were even...even closer than we thought." Sakura walked to Naruto, and knelt down.

"Hi, Naruto...?" At the sound of her voice, Naruto's limp body animated into life.

"Kohi? Kohi, where'd you go? I waited so long for you...a few hours, at the least. But that's okay! I still love you, I'll never leave your side! Kohi, Kohi..." Sakura leapt back as Naruto attempted to kiss her. "Kohi, where are you going? Don't you want me today...oh no, are you tired? Would you like some tea, some coffee? Kohi?" Sakura had continued to back up, and probably would have gone back to the other clearing if Orichimaru hadn't caught her.

"Something's wrong with him. And I can help, but...it would be cruel." Sasuke looked at Naruto, who had fresh tears on his face.

"Do it. Do whatever you can. I can't stand to see Naruto...like this..." Sasuke went as far away from the delirious man as he could, and put his head in his hands. Orichimaru stared at Sasuke for a moment, then bent down to whisper in Sakura's ear.

"You didn't tell me...that Sasuke was in love with Naruto!" 

"..._"_

"NANI?"

As Orichimaru walked toward Naruto, he looked back over his shoulder at Sakura, who mouthed, _I didn't know, how could you tell_? He pointed to his eyes, and then bent down to Naruto's level. Naruto's eyes opened immediately, but seemed to lose focus as he stared into Orichimaru's. They stayed like that for a long time, and finally, Naruto's face cracked into a smile.

"Kohi!"

"Naruto..." Sasuke remained unmoving as Orichimaru and Naruto had a long conversation, or as Naruto believed, himself and Kohi.

"And, Kohi, you'll never believe this...I thought you had no eyes! And that I had to kill you! Kohi, isn't that just strange, to even think that?" Orichimaru muttered an agreement, and stroked Naruto's hair gently.

"Naruto, I'd like you to do me a favor." At Naruto's emphatic nod, Orichimaru got even closer to him, noses nearly touching. "I'd like you to tell me...how you feel about Sasuke. No, don't speak so loud; whisper it in my ear." Naruto spent a while doing that, and Orichimaru finally pulled back. Making a long series of hand seals, he pushed his hand roughly into Naruto's gut, making him cough up a large amount of blood.

"KOHI!" Naruto fell unconscious from the blood loss, and Orichimaru stood, stopping to place Naruto in his arms.

"Now we need to leave." Orichimaru began to run through the field, and before following, Sakura turned back to Sasuke, who was staring at her without any trace of sadness on his features.

"Sasuke...are you okay now?" He didn't say anything, and Sakura leaped after Orichimaru, a bit worried.

_What did he hear...? _

- - - - 

_"Naruto, how do you feel about Sasuke? No, don't speak so loud; whisper it in my ear."_

"Kohi...you know I love you, you know I do! It's just that sometimes...sometimes, I get these cravings that not even you can fill. I hunger for deep black holes in the palest face, for long, ivory fingers, colder than the hand of death. I want to feel his long black hair surrounding me, falling in my eyes, in my mouth, as he bends over me, to greet me with a kiss of coldest indifference. I want Sasuke...sometimes more than I want you! But don't tell him, Kohi! He doesn't even know that I like boys, and I don't want to disgust him. Some people...don't like that."

Orichimaru sped into the foilage. His mind was completely occupied with Naruto's words, and he felt the smallest pity for him. _Naruto's in love with him, but didn't want to be unfaithful to his lover...and Sasuke's in love with Naruto, but pretends icy indifference! And Sakura..._ Orichimaru leapt to the highest branch he could find, and set down Naruto. The other two appeared to each side of him, and collapsed onto their branches.

"How is he?" asked Sasuke as soon as he had breath. His forehead glistened with sweat, and his chest heaved heavily.

"Fine. Switch places with me, you care for him better than I do." Orichimaru sat back and watched Sasuke as he checked Naruto, finally sighing as he saw nothing was wrong. A flash of pink caught his eye, and Orichimaru turned his head to see Sakura flipping her hair wildly about, her eyes opened wide in fright. "What's wrong, Sakura?"

"THERE ARE THINGYS IN MY HAIR, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO EAT MY BRAAIN!" There was a long silence as Orichimaru and Sasuke stared at her increduously. Suddenly, a dry laughter broke it, and all eyes averted to Naruto, who was shaking with laughter.

"Sakura-chan...what the hell...is wrong with you!" He laughed again, then a shimmer of pain filled his blue eyes. He coughed into his hand, and stared at it as though he were going blind.

"What is..." Sasuke started to look at his hand, but Naruto held him back, smiling faintly.

"Uh, just a little spit. Got something I can wipe it on?" Sasuke frowned as he pulled out a piece of old cloth and handed it to Naruto. Wiping his hand roughly, Naruto choked back tears as the blood blended into the lines of his palms.

_No...no! Why am I still coughing up this shit? Kohi..._ Naruto let one tear make it halfway down his face before he angrily brushed it off. "When are we moving again? And are those bastards still following us, cause I got something for 'em!" Standing up, he mimed a few air jabs before coughing again, and specks of blood landed on the tree trunk. Having watched every move he made from the time he awoke, Sasuke took only two seconds to process the blood coming from his friend.

"Orichimaru! _What's wrong with him?_" Orichimaru sat sedatively as Sasuke rambled at him. "You said you were helping him, helping us! Then _why the fuck is he still bleeding?_" Orichimaru looked at Naruto as he answered.

"You were delirious, so I used my eyes to make you think I was Kohi. I asked you a question, do you remember," and quite obviously Naruto did, for he turned an awful shade of red, "and then I made you cough up more blood so you'd pass out. While you were unconscious, your blood should have been mended by my jutsu. Apparently, something was wrong with you before we ever met..."

"Fuzakeruna." Naruto's voice was shaky, but icy all the same.

"Is it _gan_? Did you have a bad encounter with a _baita_? Or maybe with a _bidanshi_...?"

"FUZAKERUNA! It doesn't matter, it doesn't, or does it..." Naruto grew pale, and he glanced hard at Sasuke, who looked deeply concerned. "I...Orichimaru...don't tell him!" Naruto quickly made the hand seals of his best move. "Shadow clone jutsu!" Six copies of Naruto materialized, and they all looked sad. They crouched low, then jumped off in different directions.

"Naruto! No, wait!" Sasuke followed the nearest Naruto, catching him by the ankle. He _poofed!_, and Sasuke followed another one. Orichimaru and Sakura helped, and soon all the clones were destroyed. But the real Naruto was far gone.

- - - -

"Why did he say that...how would he...know..." Naruto continued to run, but it was a strain on him, and he quickly lost his breath. Coughing, he leaned against a tree and stared into the sky. Birds had begun their morning songs, and the sunrise was orange coated with flecks of deepest blue.

"Just...shut up."

- - - - - - -

Better, I think. Draaama!

nani - what

fuzakeruna - shut up. but like...shut up you mofo/whore, something strong like that.  
gan - cancer  
baita - prostitute  
bidanshi - good looking man


	7. Chapter Seven

**Orochimaru and Sakura - My Hollow Soul  
written by smile-ookii**

Yay, chapter seven! And I'm sorry about my chapter names; most have nothing to do with the chapter! Lol. Well, in our last one, Orochimaru mended Naruto's body inside, but it turned out that it didn't work very well, meaning only that something was already wrong with him. Naruto confessed to Orochimaru that he craved Sasuke, thinking that he was speaking in confidence to Kohi. Orochimaru tells Sakura that Sasuke is obviously in love with his friend, and Sasuke constantly proves this with his over-protectiveness of Naruto while unconscious. In a heated arguement, Orochimaru prods Naruto about his illness, asking him about cancer, prostitutes, and finally, a man. This last seems to unnerve Naruto, for he makes shadow clones and escapes into the forest. So a man caused Naruto's illness...what does he have, anyways? And when will Sasuke and Naruto reveal themselves to each other? Soon, I hope...

**Chapter Seven - Engulf the Past**

Naruto rubbed at his eyes slowly, his hands stiff and painful. "Oh, man...where am I?" Naruto sat up, stretching slowly, and a bit of memory came back to him.

_"Is it gan? Did you have a bad encounter with a baita? Or maybe with a bidanshi...?"_

_"FUZAKERUNA!"_

"Damn it!" Naruto was still in pain, but he stood up, preparing to jump high enough to see where he had run to. He had bent down low when he heard a voice. He paused, and in the time afterwards, he forever regretted it.

"Hey...who's there?"

- - - -

"Orochimaru---"

"Sasuke, come on, it wasn't his fault---"

"Get out of the way, Sakura---"

In the hours that Naruto had escaped from them, Sasuke had harassed Orochimaru, determined that Naruto's disappearance had something to do with him. "Tell me where he is, tell me where he is--"

"Sasuke!" Orochimaru rose away from the tree he had been leaning on. Angrily, he walked to Sasuke until they were nearly chest-to-chest. "Listen to me. I know you love him." Sasuke paled, and began to retort. "Please, it's obvious. Just like it should be obvious that I love Sakura." Startled, Sasuke took several steps back, and turned in Sakura's direction.

"Sakura, he's joking, right? He's the fucking _enemy _for shit's sake!"

"And? He hasn't been the enemy so far, Sasuke! And as you can see, I haven't said anything about your _special_ tastes, either! So shove it!"

There was a full minute of silence, filled with heavy breathing. Through gritted teeth, Sasuke spoke. "We are going to find Naruto. If he's in any danger, we'll help him. And then, both of you had better get the _hell_ out of our way. Because we're going to let you run as long as it takes Naruto to heal. That's right," he said maliciously to Sakura's shocked face, "I'm going to hunt you. And I'm going to make Naruto help me. My _special_ tastes, is that what you said, Sakura? I'll speak those same words to you at your _unmarked grave_."

Orochimaru appeared at Sakura's side as she staggered, holding her up. "You...bastard," she screamed at him through tears. "I told you...not to mention that to me, ever! And you...promised, you promised me!"

"I promised you I'd never say that, no matter how angry, miserable, or near death I was. Yes, I remember, Sakura. I remember you said that's how your mother died, after getting beaten, raped, and chopped into pieces. I'm sorry, I meant after she was mauled into pieces by men who each wanted to take a part of her home. My mistake." Sasuke opened his mouth to say more, but was silent as he gazed at Sakura's pale face.

She was trembling, and her eyes were blank as she muttered to herself. "Oh, mother, he doesn't mean it like that! Father loves...you...ow!" She bit her lips, and blood welled up. "Mother, whenever we're practicing, I feel like you're really trying to hurt me. Calm down, I was joking! Mother? Mother?" Sakura began to toss her head back and forth, and Orochimaru was nearly knocked off balance. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and jumped to a nearby branch. Her eyes cleared, but she looked around, confused, until she caught sight of her hands.

"GET IF OFF ME, GET IT OFF, I DIDN'T KILL HER, FATHER, SHE WAS JUST LAYING THERE!" Orochimaru was seriously worried for Sakura now, and shoved her into the trunk of the tree.

"Wake up, Sakura," he yelled in his raspy voice. "Forget your mother! Forget your father! Forget your past! But don't," he whispered, leaning in, "forget me." He locked lips with her, and she pushed her arms into him, trying to fight him off, until she finally relaxed and brought him closer.

Sasuke stood silently as they kissed passionately, his mind flying to Naruto. "Naruto-kun...I love you." In the stillness of the forest, a scream burst out, resounding in every Konoha leaf, making them quiver.

"...Naruto!" The three nin leaped quickly towards the sound, Sasuke nearly floating in his desperateness to reach him. "Naruto-kun...be well, be well!"

- - - -

"Helloo?" Naruto stood rigidly, expecting Sasuke or Sakura to topple him to the ground. He loosened up a little when he saw three large shapes, all men, waving to him. "Hey!" Naruto grinned and waved back, walking towards the three men. "What are you guys doing in the middle of the forest? You scared the shit outta me!" The men laughed, and one petted Naruto's hair.

"We were just about to ask you that, stranger. You by yourself?" Naruto nodded, then eyed the men's backpacks. They followed his gaze and laughed again. "Hungry?" Naruto nodded again, then held out his hands, a large smile on his face.

"Thanks!" The men introduced themselves as Naruto wolfed down his food.

"Watashi wa Haiidori," one said shyly.  
"Watashi wa Bahshiro," said another.  
"And I'm Eiji."

"...Na...ruto," he managed through large bites of food.

Haiidori cocked his head sideways. "What a cute name," he said, and Naruto choked on his food, blushing.

"Uhm...all of you look like _bishounen_, and Haiidori is very...feminine...so..."

"Yes, we, uh...prefer our sex," said Eiji, flipping back his lengthy black hair. Slanted hazel eyes enhanced with kohl gazed into Naruto's. "And you must, too. Blushing like a youth." Naruto, in a rush to finish, choked again, reddening.

"I...uhm, I did have a...mate," he finished very quietly. Glancing stealthily at one another, the three men encircled Naruto, cooing in saddened tones.

"Oh, dear Naruto, whatever happened?"  
"Yes, where is he now?"  
"What was his name?"

Naruto grew grim as the men hovered around him. "I had to kill him," he said, and they hesitated, then resumed their coddling.

"Why?"

"He was diseased...something infested him, and he forgot all he was, all he had." Naruto burst into tears, and Bahshiro tugged off his jacket. "Wha...what are you doing, Bahshiro?"

"You need to relax, Naruto..."

"Not like this...stop!" Naruto shoved them away as Eiji and Haiidori both removed a _kutsu_. Naruto tried to jump, but he was too weak, and slumped to the ground, with laboured pants.

"Good work, Eiji, Bahshiro, Haiidori. I'll take it from here." A large man stepped out from behind a tree, a menacing smirk on his face. "Good work on finding such a good catch! My work's already been cut out for me, then." As he began walking towards Naruto, a gleam in his eyes, Naruto gasped, and attempted to crawl away, his elbows pushing up dirt as he heavily pushed them down. The four men laughed, though Haiidori's laughter was a bit weak. The large man waited for Naruto to pull a few more inches away, then roughly grabbed his ankles, dragging him back.

"No! No! Stop, please.." Naruto panted, exhausted, and weakly fought off the man as he was stripped naked. He cried out as the man harshly shoved wet fingers inside of him, twisting them around until Naruto reluctantly began to respond.

"That's better..and just so you know, I'm not known for being gentle, so feel _free_ to scream." Naruto closed his eyes as the man flipped him over. He hovered over him for long, dragged out seconds, then plunged deeply into Naruto. Naruto screamed, an unearthly wailing that made the leaves shiver and curl into themselves. The man continued to thrust and twist, roughly tearing Naruto's frail body apart. Blood trickled from him, and sadly dripped to the ground. Haiidori began to cry silently, and Eiji took him into his arms.

"I hate doing this, Eiji. And this boy was just so sweet..." Eiji opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as Bahshiro began to.

"We do what we must, Haiidori. It is our duty, as members of the clan that lost the war. We are forever..._manwhores_," he spat, "and all our men are either enjoying this role, or weeping as you do, Haiidori. Why we lost to the most perverse clan, no one knows. But this is our fate; may death come quickly to us all." Bahshiro nodded as Haiidori began to cry even harder, smearing his reddened lips on the other's shirt.

"Eiji...don't die without me!" The other man started, and grimly smiled. He held Haiidori close, and whispered softly into his ear.

"I wish...we were somewhere else, someone else. We'd have a little cottage by a lake; remember what I told you?"

Haiidori was silent, then timidly replied. "We'd adopt two children, a boy and a girl...and we'd name them..."

"Junko and Daisu," said Eiji. Haiidori shyly looked up, and flushed at Eiji's gaze. "Besides, you're my _koibito_, and don't forget."

- - - -

Sasuke's feet flew. He was so concentrated that Sakura had to throw a rock at his head to capture his attention. "Sasuke! Slow down!" He stopped, his chest hurriedly rising and falling.

"You didn't...stop me..for that, did you?"

"No. Listen carefully...you hear that?" Sasuke did. It was voices, and they were pretty damn near. Almost underneath them... "If you had kept blasting off like that, they would have been alerted. Clear your head!" Sasuke glared at her, but his shoulders sagged.

"For once, you have a point." He silently climbed down the tree, and after glancing about, motioned for Orochimaru and Sakura to follow. Moving closer, the voices became clearer. Sasuke strained to hear, and caught a few of the last words.

"...my _koibito_, and don't forget." _How I've longed to say those words to Naru-kun_, Sasuke thought. He was about to advance and speak aloud when a hand pulled him back, covering his mouth. In anger, Sasuke twisted his head around to see a sickly looking Orochimaru.

"Sasuke, no. Look...over there." Confused, Sasuke pointed his eyes in the direction Orochimaru indicated. Sasuke stood rigid for so long that Orochimaru pulled his hands away, but not before he felt the dampness on them. With wide, disbelieving eyes, Sasuke watched as the love of his life was brutally raped, a large pool of blood having formed under him. He watched as a large man finished, shuddering, with a satisfied look on his upturned face. His vision began to turn red as the man pulled out of Naruto, tossing him to the ground.

"Naruto. NARUTO!!"

- - - -

The big man tossed Naruto to the ground, wiping himself on the boy's shirt. "Thanks," he said, and turned to the silent Eiji, Bahshiro, and Haiidori. "If he had anything of value, get it, and continue on to town." They were still as the man stretched, and looked over his shoulder at the convulsing Naruto. "The best I've ever had, kiddo," he said. He began walking away when he heard a shout.

"NARUTO!" The man turned as the sound of chirping birds filled the air. The screeching was so intense that all the men feel to the ground, holding their ears. "**CHIDORI**!" The chirping intensified as Sasuke rushed from the shadows, gripping his wrist so fiercely that he gave himself a slight indian burn. The large man looked up, frightened, and ran towards the other three. Unwaveringly, he picked up Bahshiro and heavily threw him into the path of Sasuke.

Sasuke swerved to avoid the man, but nevertheless, as Bahshiro's body fell to the ground, bones in his legs, arms, and back broke, and his scream of pain scared away the actual birds. He died slowly, his face forever in a pose of pain. The big man froze, waiting until Sasuke was nearly upon him, then turned tail and ran. "Heh. Not so fast..." Sasuke blew by the quaking Haiidori and Eiji and easily caught up to the man. Leaping, he hit the man full-on, and the entire forest reverberated with the punch. The wind blew softly as Sasuke walked back to the survivors. As he stood face to face with Eiji, his vision cleared, and he tried to think more plainly.

"What did he do to Naruto," he said flatly. Eiji paled at his tone, but kept a whimpering Haiidori enveloped.

"You..must have saw..."

"I didn't ask you if I _saw_. I said, what did he _do_ to my Naruto." Eiji gestured with a trembling hand at the still convulsing Naruto.

"He...he came out from the trees, and he...Naruto-kun was so tired, he...couldn't fight back." Eiji grew silent as the Uchiha took on a murderous look. "Then he..stripped him down, and this." Sasuke stared into the man's eyes for a full five minutes. The very air seemed to fill with ice crystals, as Eiji could hardly breathe.

"You stood here as that monster touched my Naruto? You did nothing to help?" Eiji slowly shook his head. Haiidori, fearful for his lover turned his head just enough to see Sasuke's eyes.

"Please...don't hurt _mines_!" Sasuke stood immobile as Haiidori began to cry again. "Not _mines_...leave Eiji alone, please...!" Sasuke's eyes were hooded as he raised a bloody hand to eye level.

"You see this blood? Right now, only your master's on my hand. Soon, your beloved's will be as well. If you had made but one move, and were silenced, it would be quite different. But for you to just...stand here!" Sasuke dragged Haiidori away from Eiji, the small man screaming, clutching at Eiji's robes.

"No, no, pleeease," he moaned, tossing his head. "Don't die without me, Eiji, don't die without me! NO, NO!" Haiidori wrestled himself from Sasuke's grip, holding on to Eiji for dear life. "Kill us together! I won't leave this world without Eiji!" Growling, Sasuke gripped his wrist, readying the second Chidori attack.

"As you wish."

- - - -

"Hey, Naruto. It's us, it's us!" Naruto was unresponsive to Sakura's calls. His body had begun to withdraw into itself, shuddering every few minutes. His eyes were clenched shut, even as a single drop of blood fell on his cheek. Sakura looked up, and she grimaced as Sasuke's attack sent blood running down the tree. His fist stayed buried in the tree as two bodies fell to the earth, Haiidori's clutching Eiji's as it had in life. Slowly, Sasuke walked over to Naruto, and cradled the husk of Naruto. A light rain began to fall as Sasuke turned his face to the sky, tears and rain etched a path through the grime on his face.

- - - - - - -

Sorry this chapter took sooo long to do. Newspaper is my mortal enemy. / I also want to thank everyone for their reviews! _Arigatou!  
_Props to for some info on how the Chidori works.

baita - prostitute  
bidanshi - good looking man  
watashi wa - "my name is.."  
bishounen - pretty boy/beautiful boy  
koibito - boyfriend (or girlfriend)  
Chidori - chirping of 1000 birds


End file.
